Manager, Strategic Proposals

White & Case; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading international law firm in London is seeking a Strategic Proposals Manager to drive the creation of compelling RFP responses. The role involves supporting both global and local proposals while fostering collaboration across teams. Ideal candidates will have a graduate degree, at least three years in business development, and a strong skill set in communication and organisation. The firm offers a dynamic work environment with significant opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

Private medical insurance

Pension plan with matched employer contribution

Yearly wellbeing fund

Life insurance

Travel insurance

Cycle to work

Qualifications

• Minimum three years’ relevant business development experience in a professional services firm.
• Experience in professional or financial services, or a similar role at a large corporation.
• Confidence in dealing with senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead or support panel proposals and provide advice on local practice proposals.
• Create high quality, original content for pitches.
• Develop winning tactics and strategy for pitch meetings.

Skills

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Organisational skills

Creative and strategic mindset

Influencing and negotiating skills

Client-focused approach

Education

Graduate degree

Tools

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

CRM applications

Job description

Are you ready to make your mark as part of our Strategic Proposals team? Then you’ve come to the right place. At White & Case, we’ll support you, give you responsibility and welcome you as an integral member of our global team from day one.

The primary role of the Strategic Proposals Manager is to support the larger, strategic panel proposals, which are often multijurisdictional or global in nature. You will bring insightful previous experience of professional services proposals and use this to influence and motivate partners in their proposal activity. In doing this, you will help to develop and refine best practice and disseminate this globally throughout the firm.

The Strategic Proposals Manager will lead in the creation of compelling RFP responses for complex cross-practice, cross-border, high value opportunities for the world’s largest financial institutions, sponsors, and corporations. You will also provide guidance on smaller proposals led by the practice BD teams. When not working on live proposal opportunities, you will support wider proposals-related initiatives such as proposal evaluation, feedback, management reporting and improvement to processes and infrastructure.

To be successful in the role, you will display a real passion for pitching and proposals, and will stay abreast of and apply knowledge of trends in pitching relating to both clients and competitors. Strong organisational skills, a proven ability to work to tight deadlines and deliver under pressure, together with excellent written and verbal communication skills and an ability to create original, client-focused copy are essential.

The Marketing & Business Development team is central to the firm’s mission of achieving profitable growth, engaged people, and outstanding client relationships. United by a commitment to understanding client ambitions and anticipating challenges, the team combines strategic insight with a legacy of pioneering work and agile problem-solving to deliver real impact in complex, fast-changing environments. Team members work closely with colleagues worldwide to drive growth across key client accounts, expanding both revenue and the depth of relationships, and benefit from a supportive, high-performing, and internationally minded environment where their contributions have global visibility and impact from day one.

Key Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Leading or supporting as required on panel proposals. Providing advice and support on smaller local practice/office proposals led by other Business Development teams.
• Bringing original thought and creativity to pitches, working with partners to formulate a bespoke offer, and creating high quality, original content.
• Ensuring appropriate engagement of key stakeholders across the firm, including BD, Pricing, Practice Solutions, Office of the General Counsel, and Knowledge to ensure the client receives the best proposal from White & Case.
• Leading on the planning and preparation of pitch meeting stage – developing winning tactics and strategy with the team, facilitating rehearsals and overseeing the production of pitch meeting materials.
• Following up on results and ensuring appropriate feedback. Working with colleagues to conduct pitch feedback reviews with the client and producing summaries of the feedback received.
• Supporting post-win implementation through effective handover to the mobilization team.

Best practice and proposals infrastructure

• Taking ownership of and actively championing the proposal process, including proposal evaluation and feedback to instil best practice and drive improvement. Adhering to all processes properly, including maintaining appropriate opportunity records and following up on results.
• Being a role model for others to follow. Taking an active interest in the development of members of the central BD team that support proposals, delegating effectively and providing guidance, coaching and feedback.
• Supporting the delivery of pitch training for BD teams.
• Ensuring general boilerplate content in the firm’s proposal generator is current, relevant and in approved style. Knowledge and experience of proposal software is desirable.
• Contribute to departmental and/or global projects or initiatives as required.

Qualifications & Skills

• Graduate with at least three years’ relevant business development experience in a professional services firm.
• Experience in professional or financial services, or a similar role at a large corporation.
• Confidence in dealing with senior stakeholders and working autonomously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work at all levels.
• Strong proficiency in systems and databases, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and CRM applications.
• Flexibility, commitment, and enthusiasm.
• High attention to detail.
• Influencing and negotiating skills.
• Team player with a client-focused approach.
• Creative and strategic mindset, with initiative and ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.

What We Offer

When you join us, you’ll be working directly with partners, business leaders and many other inspiring colleagues across our global network of offices. We live by our values—to be pioneering, united and human—and we believe that you’ll experience them from your first day. We will give you the support and development opportunities that will help you achieve your potential.

We believe that consistent high performance merits reward and support. Our compensation package reflects your calibre as a Business Development professional, and our benefits are designed to support your changing needs and priorities across different life stages.

About White & Case

We are a global law firm with longstanding offices in the markets that matter today. Our on-the-ground experience, our cross-border integration, and our depth of local, US and English-qualified lawyers help our clients work with confidence in any one market or across many.

Location & Reporting

This role is based in London, and reports into the Associate Director, Global Proposals, Business Development.

Our standard office hours are 09:30-18:00, with a current requirement for 3 days in the office per week.

Firm Benefits

We offer a flexible range of benefits, services and programmes designed to help support your lifestyle requirements. Some of the benefits currently available include:

• Private medical insurance
• Pension plan with matched employer contribution up to 7.5%
• Yearly wellbeing fund
• Income protection
• Life insurance
• Critical Illness insurance
• Private GP services
• Travel insurance
• Dental coverage
• Cycle to work
• Holiday purchase (available during annual enrolment)

Equal Opportunity Statement

White & Case is committed to creating a fair workplace. It is our Firm’s policy to recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, creed, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law.

If you require assistance and/or adjustment to participate in our application and/or interview process, please email us. We will be happy to work with you.

Note to recruitment agencies: Our internal Recruitment team is responsible for all end-to-end lateral recruitment processes. All agencies must sign White & Case terms of business, which are office specific. Candidates submitted by an agency without terms of business agreed with the appropriate office, and/or outside of our online application tracking system, will not be considered a formal introduction.

Any applications and CVs sent directly to White & Case Partners and employees will not be accepted as formal introductions. If you have any questions, please contact the London Recruitment team.

When engaging with agencies, we are supported by our preferred suppliers.

The firm may modify and amend this job description at any time in its sole discretion. Nothing herein creates a contract of employment or modifies the at‑will nature of employment.

The above is only a general description of the essential duties associated with this position and does not represent an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all duties.